djimpak

where do you get your ecu reflash? my cousin wants to know because thats all he need right now. can you use an aftermarket ecu like hondata or mugen instead of the factory rsx? and about the immobilizer, do you need the immobilizer if you were to use an aftermarket ecu? since my cousin has a 2k1... i think he will need the immobilizer for the factory rsx ecu. am i right? to get the ecu to sense or recognize the immobilizer, all you have to do is get the ecu reflashed right?

the reason im asking where you get it reflash is because the Acura Dealer over here didnt really know how to plug the scanner into the ecu and when they hooked it up to the ecu they said the screen when haywire...

poor jaysun

iTrader: (1)

Hondata works off the factory ECU
His civic is a 2001, if the RSX is 2002 and up he is going to have problems with the immobilizer.
The Acura dealer didn't know how to plug in the scanner? See your local Honda dealer then.
Good luck

djimpak

alright... thanks

so he needs a new immobilizer?

yeah.. the acura dealer didnt know how to plug the scanner

BumpinCivic2k1

i have been getting mixed answers from this as well. i have a 2k1 with a rsx motor in my garage. hasport has told me that the 2001 civic immobilizer is built into the ecu, while the rsx has the immobilizer next to the ignition under the steering wheel. i dont see how honda can reflash the civic key to the acura ecu, without having the acura immobilizer as well, considering the civic immobilizer was built into the civic ecu. anyone else know more?

edit: if your cousin gets the mugen ecu, there will be no immobilizer, so a trip to acura/honda wont be neccesary.

SlammedBlueEM2

iTrader: (2)

All I have to say is...

Hondata. When he can.

djimpak

my cousin is planning on getting the rsx-s immobilizer and the key cylinder put in his car and then try to get the ecu reflashed... the only thing that is stopping him is... will it work or not.

djimpak

tomorrow he is gonna call this one place, i dont know what place it is, about the rsx-s immobilizer, rsx-s key cylinder and rsx-s key.

htowncivicEX

I'm a bit confused when you say the Acura dealership didn't know where to plug the scanner into the ECU. As far as I know, the OBDII connector for the 7th gen is in the same location as the RSX - bottom right side of the driver's side floor, left side of the center front console. You'll see a little computer-parallell-port-looking-connector-thing with female connectors.

Anyone who has a scanner/diagnostic tool with the very latest Honda/Acura codes on it can reflash the ECU. Problem is - those Mastertech scanners cost $3000 brand new, so usually only the Honda dealerships have them. If all you wanted to do was reset the ECU, you could just use any brand of scanner and reset the ECU using Generic OBDII mode. But what you want to do is program the ECU to work with the immobilizer.

The way the new Hondas work is that the immobilizer (device located on the keyring cylinder on your steering wheel column) has to be programmed to work with your current ECU. So you can't just swap in a new engine/ECU combo and expect to live happily ever after. Presumably, as a safeguard against theft, the dealership will run a check on the VIN# of the ECU before they reprogram an ECU to work with an immobilizer.

So to answer your question - yes, you will have to get a new immobilizer and get a Honda/Acura dealership to reprogram this immobilizer to work with the new ECU. You can use any ECU (Hondata, Mugen, etc.). You can even use the stock 7th gen ECU - in this case, you won't have to reprogram or replace anything, since your stock ECU already works with your stock immobilizer. ImportBuilders actually did this with my car to drive the car down to the Acura dealership for reprogramming - the car drove fine with the K20A2 motor and stock ECU, but obviously i-VTEC would not engage.

Remember - the key is the IMMOBILIZER and ECU combination. As long as the two are in synch, you're ok. You don't even need to get a new key made.

If your local Acura dealership can't even plug in the scanner tool, they've got some big problems going on there. I suggest going to another Acura dealership or even a Honda dealership (all the Honda/Acura scan tools are the same).

djimpak

well, they could plug it in but the screen on the scanner just turned red.. there's only one acura dealer over here... my cousin is planning on taking his car to the honda dealer sometime this week

djimpak

ohh and he kinda has a feeling that the wiring is wrong but he isnt sure... he is gonna find out sometimes later this week

BumpinCivic2k1

maybe that acura dealership's equipment has that worm that is going around...

whitevic

iTrader: (1)

just a side note the reason hasport didn't have to get a new immobilizer was because they used the mugen ecu, which bypasses our immobilizer features....

HEBEGEBZ

So does that mean it is easier to steal. I am differently a NooB on this topic.

StLVtec

iTrader: (1)

Does the mugen ecu work with FI, because now they have revhard turbo. If mugen works with i might just get it

HondaLuver

iTrader: (17)

how do you get it to work if you have a type R engine, since you can't prove you got a k20A leagaly

djimpak

my cousin is now wonder how much the mugen ecu is... he will probably get it if its like around 500-600.. anybody know the price and where to get one?

BumpinCivic2k1

no the mugen ecu won't work with FI because it is tuned for all motor applications, meaning if you add a turbo/sc/nitrous you will break something

BumpinCivic2k1

King Motorsports
you can get the mugen ecu here, but it is $1200. he will defintely have to run at least 93 octane, and type r cams and valve springs would help with the higher redline of 9,100.

djimpak

haha i told him the price and the way he looked at me was funny haha... well he decided on getting his ecu reflashed and getting the new immobilizer...

StLVtec

iTrader: (1)

yeah i didnt think mugen would work with FI, Ill be going the same way honda dealer

briang

Let me answer a couple of things. Our first ECU in the EX was the stock RSX ECU and we had a Honda dealer do the reflash. There were no problems with our wiring which is what I suspect is wrong with you Civic.

We bought the Mugen ECU for the Civic Si but the Hondata unit made more HP so we took it out and sold it. We ran it once in the EX before we turboed it, just for the hell of it.

The EX now runs a new prototype AEM ECU and the Si has a Hodata tuned ECU.

brian g

djimpak

yeah... theres probably something wrong with the wiring. my cousin is going to find out sooner or later.

MrManz1691

where is everyone getting the info on the wiring. I looked at the 01 EX ETM manuel and comapred it to the 02 RSX ETM manuel. Mainly the 3 plugs that go in the ECu and then there is one other clip. It is a long flat one, that is a 20 pin clip. Comparing the 3 ECU clips there is very little difference. And two of the Three ECu clips come off the engine harness anyway, so there is only the 3rd clip that comes off the civic. And all the it is lacking compared to the RSX is one wire for the O2 sesnors. I think that i have all that part figured out but i have not been able to figure out exactly what i need to do to make the O2 sesnor off the RSX work. If someone could shed some light on this it would be great. Also if anyone has any queations about the swap feel free to ask me. I have been working my way through it, and have it all done except the O2 sesnors at this point. So feel free to ask. I am thinking about doing a more detailed write up later this week.

AIM: MrManz1691@hotmail.com
Email: MrManz1691@hotmail.com

briang

Compare the Air Fuel Ratio Sensor wiring against the Civic's Primary O2 Sensor wiring. See the difference.

What you want to do is look at the Civic HX wiring diagram of the AF Ratio Sensor and AF Ratio Sensor relay and wire that part of the diagram into your Civic out side of the engine wiring harness.

Then if you have a LX or DX Civic you want to also add the secondary O2 sensor wiring.

brian g